Reign of Shadow: Elemental Rising
by Sigil Elemental
Summary: A collaboration with Necronal. As the days go by, the number of rifts that are the Shadow Gates continue to grow. As they bring about new horrors by the day, the heroes of the world of men rise to fight the incoming shadows. However, behind the hordes of darkness, a brilliant light can be seen. Not a ray of hope, but rather, a force of destruction. So rise the Elementals!
1. Chapter 1

The frozen roof of the world.

Harsh blizzards plagued the northern plains, threatening to freeze any worldly creature to where they stood. The snowstorms buffeted the mountainside, challenging any who dared intrude. From a strategic point of view, it was the perfect place to hide a massive operation, if you could survive the cold.

For example, a mining project.

Strange beings dotted the mountainside. They wore the shape of a humanoid, however that was where the resemblance ended. The beings had stone for skin, and light seeped out of every crack and crevice of their body. In their palms, they held what seemed to be an orb of light. Within it, energy flowed in a dangerous maelstrom, which the being brought down onto the snow it stood in.

Immediately, anything that touched the orb began to erode. It started off slow, but gradually, more snow began to melt until only the stone of the mountainside was left, and even that was eroded. The other strange beings did the same. Occasionally, one would use its jagged fingers to claw at a rock, removing a glowing crystal to be collected by a floating ball of light. The sky was full of similar balls of light. They glowed brightly when they came near one another, and worked quickly to collect the glowing crystals collected by the stone-skins.

Behind all of this, was something resembling a base camp consisting of towers as tall as humans. Standing in the snow, they bore ancient, indecipherable runes. Within it, metal beings floated several feet of the ground, patrolling the area for intruders. They too, had light seeping out of every crevice of their body, their eyes betrayed no sign of emotion as they flew silently in the blistering cold.

However, all of this paled in comparison to the last structure, located furthest away from the mining operation, beyond the base camp. It was a kaleidoscope of colour, the size of a large castle and possibly larger than that. Shaped like a thin disc, it seemed like a pool of dark water. It glowed with sinister, otherworldly magic, and within it, one could briefly glimpse the landscape of another, alien world.

The Shadow Gate stood strong. As did the Elementals.

The portal shimmered for the briefest moment, and for an instant, the patrolling Zantonites noticed it. Floating into a single file parallel to the portal, they awaited the arrival of their master.

From portal, a single hand emerged. It was a massive hand, radiating with energy. It felt around before eventually, its owner continued through the portal. A massive foot stepped through the portal this time, melting the snow beneath it, creating a small river. This did not seem to affect the creature's footing however, for the rest of the creature's entry was smooth.

The creature could easily be described as a pulsating behemoth. If one could stand the blinding light that was the energy coursing throughout his being, one could see that the creature had a toad-like body. His large jagged pauldrons and limbs were covered stone and the parts of body that were not covered could only be described as a maelstrom of energy.

The creature surveyed his army, hard at work at gathering the much needed resources. He would have smiled, if he had a lower jaw. He waved his hand, sending the assembled Zantonites back to their patrol. The Elementals had no voice, instead, they sent their thoughts forward telepathically, causing them to resonate within the minds of those they willed. The Elemental brought a massive finger to his head, as if in focus, and sent his thoughts throughout the alien world that he had stepped into.

He searched for his comrade, one who had gone through the Shadow Gates earlier than him. Fate had prevented them from meeting at once, but that did not matter.

"Elementalis..."

No reply. Zaladar was dismayed. The Elementals had to work together to be at their full strength, apart they were weaker, but a force to be reckoned with nonetheless. As he was about to return to his own world again, at last, the mind of Zaladar was met with a familiar presence.

"Zaladar..."

"Elementalis! I have sought you many times, but only now have you replied!"

"Forgive me, Zaladar. I have recently been fending off raids by the Humans."

"These Humans, they are the ones who inhabit this planet?"

"They are, stronger than they seem, but no match once we assemble."

"I shall make my way to you soon, I have almost gathered enough resources."

"As have I..."

Just as suddenly as the conversation began, it ended. Elementalis had left his mind to continue whatever project he had deemed worthy of his attention. Zaladar would have smiled.

Zaladar would consume this world in fire. Those who did not bow before him would be killed, and as if to prove his point, he shot two bolts of lightning into the mountain behind him. In an instant, the massive mountain began to crumble and collapse.

Just as his enemies will.

...

A distant rumble resonated within the mountainous range of the cold north, although barely audible over the howling winds. Not far from Zaladar's camp, a small army marched in the knee-deep snow. Most of the soldiers were clad in thick fur coats, the little protection it provided went a long way for the marching troops. The only few who did not clad themselves were a group of armor-clad soldiers who had gold rims on their plated armor. They dwarfed the single cloaked figure, distinctly female, who seemed very much at home in the frozen wasteland.

The female, evidently the one leading the small force, felt the small army. The snow-covered mountains were a difficult terrain to fight in, and an army would not only be disorganized and clumsy in the frequent blizzards and snow, but the large commotion might bring an avalanche upon them. Regardless, her protests went unheard as Gunther gathered the forces he could spare.

Precious little, Gunther had told her, but the best that he could offer.

"If they were as good as Gunther had reassured her to be, they should be contributing to the war effort, not following me..."

Behind her, one of the skin-clad soldiers caught up with the group of metal-clad guards and their commander. He was evidently not suited to the harsh environment, yet he had done well to keep up so far. Still gasping for breath, the squire shouted.

"Where did you say you sensed this Shadow Gate?!"

The cloaked woman did not even bother to look back, instead pointing ahead, over the mountain they were ascending. Truly, Eladwen Frostmire had a heart of stone, cold as ice.

The squire merely sighed. He was drafted to fight in the war, just as his brothers were. He had no idea what had become of them. Everyone had expected him to die as quickly as he had set foot onto the battlefield. He was an architect, not a fighter after all. Somehow, he had found himself being sent to aid Lady Frostmire by General Gunther to find a Shadow Gate she had sensed open. The squire had taken up the task, eager to be away from the gory battles between the Undead, but soon realised where his new task would take him.

Too late to turn back then.

The Squire watched the back of the mage as he trudged along in the snow, surrounded by her Paladin guard. She had an orb that very much resembled a globe of ice, but within it, images and colour danced in increasing fervor. With nothing but the scrying eye to guide them, the squire wondered if this would be his last trip. To die here and be preserved for eternity...

They had reached the top of their ascent. The wind howled as menacingly as the Wulven that invaded the world of Humans and now plagued their forests. Looking down, the squire felt vertigo overwhelm him, but that was the least of their problems.

Beneath them, the stone-skined miners looked up. Beyond them, stood the Shadow Gate they sought. Before it, stood the massive form of a pulsating creature. The Squire had heard of the Elementals and their leader. However, this one was different from the war reports that Gunther read aloud in the squire's presence.

For a brief moment, there was a stare-down between Zaladar and Lady Frostmire. Then, the Elemental noticed the squire standing next to her, and his eyes narrowed with malefic glee.

Zaladar would have smiled. He had seen the fear in the young human male's mind. Perhaps Elementalis was exaggerating when he said the humans were strong. Yet the female commander, however, seemed to radiate with magic that Zaladar had never seen before.

"Good... Zaladar thought. It was time for a little 'warm up'...


	2. Chapter 2

The western volcanic region.

There was once a time when the only time man would witness an ash-filled sky was when he witnessed the one of the many massive volcanoes of the region erupt. With the opening of the Shadow Gates, however, that changed.

Ash-filled skies now struck fear in the hearts of most of the men in the west. It meant one of two things, a village was under siege, or a mass cremation was being held by one of the priests. Since the priests were in the eastern plaguelands, chances were it was the former.

Despite the best efforts of the world's heroes to rally the human race against the Shadow, a gruesome stalemate between the combatants prevented any progress from being made. So as the Humans and Shadow battled it out, the volcanic region was left untouched.

Or so the Humans had wanted to think.

Weeks ago, an Elemental which the Shadows called Elementalis invaded the region. At first the Humans did not concern themselves with the creature, for there was no village near enough to the region for the Elementals to raze. That was their first mistake.

Elementalis and his forces had dug themselves into one of the volcanos. After he had turned it into impregnable fortress, he began to harness the energies that lurked within.

With dire consequences for the Humans.

Instead of lava, Elemental forces spewed out of the volcano. It did not matter how early a warning the Humans had, the massive force decimated any who stood in its path. When it had reached the front lines, the Human lines buckled under its might. As soon as they could hold the line again, General Gunther demanded that the Volcanic fortress be brought down.

And so, calling upon their Rogue allies, the raids began. Those who returned from these expeditions lost more than one limb, those who did not left no bodies behind to bury, the Elementals saw to that.

Now the Rogues had taken a more subtle approach. As masters of sabotage and subterfuge, they had managed to hinder the Elementals, but that was all Gunther had hoped for.

Within the volcano, the stone-skined miners worked tirelessly. Their bodies, immune to the boiling temperatures, did not cease their efforts to carve away rock with the maelstrom of energy they held in their hands.

There were no Zantonites patrolling Elementalis' base. Instead, swarms of Sparks and Flares served as the Volcano's surveillance. Bathing in the lava, the master of the volcano surveyed his elite forces in silence. Unlike the other pioneers of the Shadow, Elementalis was not known to speak. Only to Zaladar, the Elemental confided in.

His counterpart was not picky about who was in his forces as long as they knew when to scatter. Elementalis paid more attention to his troops, for he sought perfection in all things. Before him, stood what Elementalis called the Xar Modulators. Weak at first, they had a tendency to grow out of control quickly with the right tools.

The Humans had been able to get the better of them, with their ambush tactics preventing retaliation and their smokescreens preventing pursuit. However, Elementalis had been preparing a counter-measure.

After all, the volcano was more than just a strategic location for a base. The lava's energy was what the Elemental sought. From within its boiling pools, the Elementalis could forge more of his kind to add to his forces, as he did with his Modulators.

On the walls, countless runes had been carved into the wall by Elementalis. Some of them left scorch marks on the wall, while others were scratched out. Rune carving was a complicated art, but one Elementalis was skilled in. At last, he had completed his work, and admired it in silence. Enigmatic and sinister, Elementalis drew a long slender finger to the rune, directing the energies from the pool of lava he bathed in to the carving.

Converging on the scratches of the wall, the energies brought the rune to life. With an unintelligible cry, Elementalis directed one of the Modulators towards the wall. Unhesitatingly, the Modulator brought its hand up to the rune and planted it there. With a soft rumbling sound, the mark was gone from the wall. Instead, it appeared on the head of the Xar modulator, glowing distinctly despite the already brightly lit cavern. The Modulator screamed as it accepted its master's gift. However, another sound had already caught the Elemental's attention. It was a faint hissing sound, coming from one of the tunnels leading to the outside.

It was not the hissing of lava, a normal occurrence in the volcano. Instead, it was the distinct sound of one of the Rogues' smokescreens detonating. Humans had returned on one of their sabotage missions.

Elementalis sent his thoughts out, causing them to resound within the minds of the intruders. This gave him a rough idea of where the Rogues had struck. He had tolerated the Human raids for long enough, now that Zaladar had entered the fray, playtime was over.

Elementalis brought his spindly finger up to point at one of the tunnels. Immediately, the Xar Modulators moved to join the fray, the one bearing its master's rune leading the small force. It was time Elementalis left the volcano. As defensible as it was, Elementalis planned to reunite with Zaladar. It was time to move out.

Reaching out with his thoughts, he ordered all his forces to prepare for the advance. Neither the small Human blockade outside the volcanic region nor the marauding Rogues would matter. Their advance was inexorable.

With that, Elementalis channeled his power into what remained of the volcano. His reach was wide and the energies reacted with fervor. From within, rose countless beings created from molten rock and lava. They would keep the Humans busy, while Elementalis and his forces pushed northward. Zaladar would push westward, and they would become one force again.

The beings Elementalis raised from the lava were not as perfect as his modulators, but they were just as destructive. As Elementalis rose to his full height, his minions screamed their battle cry. They would serve him to the death, such zeal possible because Elementalis willed it. As they cheered him on, he left his minions with a single command before flying through the only tunnel large enough for him to pass.

"Strike first, and leave only ash in your wake."


	3. Chapter 3

The raid was going well.

In the smokescreen, Night Owls and Nightshades danced past the confused Elementals, cutting down the creatures left and right. While the Elementals outnumbered them significantly, the Rogues had done an excellent job, disrupting their operations and stealing their resources.

In a desperate attempt to protect their stone-skin kin, Sparks swarmed around them, acting as shields to the miners as they sought to escape the blinding smoke. However, Lyra and several Night Owls had already intercepted them, and soon they were mercilessly brought down.

In the chaos, Lance stood in the smokescreen. He did not rush to kill any Elemental he saw like the rest of his men. Instead, he squinted into the darkness that made up the deep tunnel. He had expected Elementalis to send forces to defend his precious resource gatherers, for the Sparks did little to protect them. Something was strange indeed.

At this moment, Rex had arrived at Lance's side. While not a powerful fighter, Rex was an excellent scout and a master of infiltration. When Rex went on a sabotage mission, more often than not he brought back a useful artifact as a souvenir. It was this unquestionable talent, that Lance had complete faith in.

"No Modulators, Flares or anything." Rex reported after giving Lance a curt nod. As the two of them watched Lyra cut down another Spark, Lance brought out a throwing knife.

"Keep your eyes and dagger out." Lance warned. "I doubt Elementalis will let this attack slide."

A screech echoed throughout the tunnel, and a rumbling that was distinctly heading their way resounded within the walls of the tunnel. The Rogues had dealt with the Xar Modulators fairly well in the past. While unmistakably durable against attacks, they lacked the agility needed to effectively fight the Rogues. Regardless, staying would be pushing their luck and so, Lance called for the retreat.

Little did they know, it was already too late.

A huge explosion rocked the volcanic fortress, throwing every Rogue of his feet. The shockwave brought down the wall of the tunnel, not large enough to block off the Rogues' escape, but enough to impede it. From the darkness, Sparks and Flares flew to reinforce their allies. The new opening had made the smokescreen less effective, and the Elementals struck with a vengeance.

Radiating blue light, the newcomers flew like a swarm of locusts, engulfing an unaware Nightshade. Night Owls leapt to avoid the small Elementals, but were eventually cornered and killed. The advantage went to the Elementals, and Lance watched as Lyra struggled with 3 Flares and was only snapped out of his trance when Rex cut down a Spark that was coming for Lance.

"FALL BACK! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

The Rogues rushed to obey, scurrying out towards the exit as fast as they could. However, the Elemental assault was relentless, and as they ran, one or two of them were caught by the Elementals.

As their escape neared, a massive hand broke through the wall of the tunnel. Grabbing one of the Night Owls, the Rogue flailed his arm to strike the Xar Modulator. However, the strange sigil on the creature's forehead began to glow. The light was creeping and looked very much alive as it engulfed the poor Night Owl.

Blood burst from the Night Owl's eyes, mouth and ears. Already dead, the Modulator tossed him away and stood between the Rogues and the end of the tunnel. Two Nightshades jumped passed the Modulator and struck it in the back, but that only proved to be their demise as the eerie light engulfed them too. The masks they wore could not obscure the pained expressions on their faces.

Charging at the Rogues, the Modulator swung its molten arm in a wide arc. Lance ducked to avoid the blow, but the unlucky ones instantly fell to the ground, dead. Lyra struck a decisive blow, evidently shakened by the aura of the Modulator but still alive. Perhaps the sigil had varying effects on different people?

There was little time to stand and ponder, however. Another Modulator had joined the fray. It brought its arm up to aim its fingers at its fallen comrade, and instantly, the sigil resurfaced on the live Modulator.

"Don't hit the Modulator, just run for it! NOW!"

The Rogues dashed past the Modulator, and Lance threw one last smokescreen into the tunnel as he exited.

The remaining Rogues were beaten and bruised, but they had little reprieve. Another explosion, and the Humans were thrown off their feet. For a moment, Lance thought the volcano was erupting. Light poured out of every crevice and tunnel of the large mountain. On close inspection, however, Lance realised the light was coming from the Elemental forces exiting the mountain.

The Humans outside the mountain sent arrow after arrow into the air. Their blockade was in no way capable of stopping such a force. For every Spark they brought down, another rose to take its place, with two more flanking its sides.

Something was strange. A force like this would have easily crushed Lance's army. Yet, they did not. They flooded the sky, yes, but not the camp. Instead, the Elementals flew northward, completely ignoring the Humans below.

Then, from the Volcano, a larger being emerged from the mouth of the Volcano. Its body serpentine and pulsating with energy. Within the ribcage that was its chest held a maelstrom of energy. Its large spindly fingers stretched with eagerness, and its single eye surveyed the surroundings and fell upon Lance.

Elementalis had its eye on the Leader of the Rogues.

"What's the matter Ely? Running from a fight?" Lyra taunted. It was not that she was picking a straight up fight with the Elementals, that was the last thing a Rogue would do. However, it was better to have the Elementals chase them than let them proceed with whatever plan they had in mind.

Lyra's challenge was undoubtedly heard by Elementalis, but Lance knew of the Elementals' telepathic nature and knew that he saw through the Rogue's plans. As if in response, the beast brought its spindly fingers up to its chest and reached into the ribcage. The maelstrom flickered, and from the depths, Elementalis pulled out a purple crystal. Shaped like a dagger, Lance recognized it to be a Shadow Crystal. It was just a sliver, only barely fitting in the Elemental's hand. However, it would be enough to end Lance's life if he was not careful.

An explosion rocked the battlefield, and from the volcano, the army of molten creatures emerged. Several cracks in their bodies marked their body, and were made more distinct by the remnants of glowing magma beneath it. It was as if the volcano itself was attacking them.

Raising the crystal, Elementalis pointed his Sliver of Shadow towards Lance, sending the molten army into a frenzied charge.

Battle was to be met, a battle the Rogues could never win.


End file.
